William e



(No Model.)

FIEL] W. R. GREINER.

EGG CRATE,

Patente-d Aug. 7, 11888.

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\\ /\f/\ QMM@ NiTnD STATES PATENT Orricn,

VILLIAM R. GREINER, OF MARLBOROUGH, NEW YORK.

EGGi-CRATE.

EPEC-ICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,228, dated August '7, 1888.

Application filed April 4, 1888. Serial No. 269,531.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. GREINER, of Marlborough, Ulster` county, State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Egg-Crate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an eggcrate, and more particularly to the kind which is composed ol' a frame across which are stretched two sets of crossingwires that form meshes between which the eggs are confined in place.

The invention has for its obj ect to secure the wires to the frame in such a manner that the crate can be cheaply manufactured, and that it will be durable when completed.

The invention consists in the various features of improvement more fully pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of one of the frames of the crate.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, showy ing the transverse Wires only. Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2,'with an additional handle; and Fig. 4, a longitudinal vertical section through a completed crate containing three of the frames.

The letters a c represent the longitudinal rails, and b b the transverse rails, of a wooden frame open on top and bottom and with the grain running, ofcourse, lengthwise. Across the frame there are stretched two sets of wires, one set being placed below the other set, and each set being composed of longitudinal and transverse wires, forming open squares. The eggs are placed in an upright position into the squares, and are held in place by the elasticity of the Wires.

In order to secure the upper transverse wires to the frame, I notch the upper edges of the longitudinal rails ca at the places at which the wires are to be secured. These notches are placed, preferably, in pairs, as indicated by the letters a' c, Figs. l and 2. The lower edges of the rails a are notched in similar manner for the retention of the lower transverse (No model.)

wires; but these notches a? are placed, preferably, about equidistant.

In securing the transverse wires (both lower and upper set) to the rails a, I employ one continuous length of wire and stretch it across opposite upper notches, a', then across opposite lower notches, and then again across opposite upper notches, and so on until all the wires are in place. Thus, beginning at the point 0c, I stretch the wire to form the length l, thence I pass it down alongside of the rail, as at 2; thence across the lower notches, as at 3; thence along the side of the rail, as at 4, and continue in similar manner, as at 5 6 7 8 9 10, Src., until all the transverse wires are in place. It will be seen that in this way I form all the several transverse wires out of one length of wire, which is readily applied. The longitudinal wires are applied in the same way. Moreover, those portions 2 4 t, 85e., of the wires that extend over the sides of rails c are placed so as to cross the grain of the wood,

and in this Way the wire Will not have a tend ency to tear out the fibers between any two notches. On the contrary, the Wire will have a tendency to strengthen the rails.

The longitudinal Wires are formed in the same manner as the transverse wires, and when in place the entire frame is completed. In Fig. 3 I have shown a handle, c, securedvto the transverse rail b.

What I claim is- The combination of .an-open frame com posed of longitudinalrails a and transverse rails b notched at their upper and lower edges, with wires stretched across the frame and extending first through two opposite upper notches, then along the side of the rail, and then through two opposite lower notches, the whole constituting a frame with two sets of open squares, substantially as specified.

WVM. It. GREINER.

Witnesses:

S. W. STILWELL, HoNoRA CREEDON. 

